


This Is The New Year

by goddamnitkastlewrites



Category: Daredevil (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22057387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddamnitkastlewrites/pseuds/goddamnitkastlewrites
Summary: First posted to goddamnitkastle.tumblr.com on December 31, 2019.This was my #KastleChristmas 2019 gift for @fortysevenswrites. I was prompted with “open road, winter retreat, snowball fight”. I inquired further on her Tumblr (gotta love that sneaky anon option) and was given some of her favorite headcanons/tropes which included “hurt/comfort (come on, it’s Karen and Frank and they have BAGGAGE), and nonverbal communication.” and I basically ran with that.The general gist of the fic is that Karen’s past has come back to haunt her (in the form of her former, drug dealing boyfriend Todd) and she is hiding out in a cabin in New Jersey cause he is after her. Frank is spying in on the trial for her and is annoyed about wearing a monkey suit to do so but for Karen, he wears it. There will be angsty, sexual tension with a sweet ending as they ring in the new year, finally together.Enjoy!
Relationships: Frank Castle/Karen Page
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: kastlechristmas2k19





	This Is The New Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FortySevens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FortySevens/gifts).



This black tie might as well be a goddamn noose.  
  
Frank is relieved to see the _Welcome to New Jersey_ sign, it means he’s almost back to the cabin. Back to Karen, who definitely has cabin fever and it is something fierce.

_”I’m not gonna keep repeating myself here. You are not coming with me, end of...” Frank exasperates._

_“I just don’t understand why I still have to stay here if today is the day...” Karen retorts.  
  
“Come on Karen, Todd directly targeted you. Even Mahoney recommended that you get out of the city for your own safety until the trial is over and he is put away...”  
  
“Yeah but I doubt he would’ve been okay with you as my protection.” Karen says stubbornly.  
  
Frank sighs and is about to dig his heals in metaphorically until she sees reason but he is not the best multitasker. He can’t keep arguing with her and get this stupid tie to cooperate. He hears her footsteps on the hardwood floor and he knows she’s standing in the doorway of his bedroom.  
  
“Here, let me help.” Karen finally offers after struggling with it for what felt like an eternity.  
  
She turns him away from the dresser mirror. Frank drops his hands in defeat and accepts her help.  
  
“I swear I will give anything if I could wear my uniform for these kind of things and never deal with ties again for as long as I live.”  
  
They both laugh and fall into silence while Karen does his tie. She is done before he even blinks and any irritation he had felt toward her before has completely disappeared.   
  
“You would, uh, do this for your brother?”  
  
The question sits in their space and despite there being no secrets between them now Frank can’t help but feel like he’s rubbing salt into the wound.  
  
“Yes. Matt asked me the same thing once. Not the same exact question but he wondered how I knew how to... I spoke of Kevin to him like he was still alive.”  
  
Her brow furrows as she pulls the knot of the tie even closer to the collar of his shirt. He doesn’t even feel it.  
_

_“And he still is. In a way. We’ll... talk and it feels like he’s right next to me.”  
  
“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have...”  
  
“It’s okay, Frank. Go to Todd’s sentencing.”  
  
“Aren’t you coming with me?” Frank cracks.  
  
“No. You and Mahoney are right and if I don't let you go now you'll miss it. Hopefully he will be going away for a long time and I can get out of this cabin.”  
  
She smooths his tie down and leaves him in his room.  
_

Todd was sentenced today. Twenty years to life and no early parole for five overdose deaths and for drug trafficking along the entire Northeast for years. At least he can bring that good news to Karen. She can end this bullshit year on a good note.  
  
He pulls up to the cabin. As he turns off the SUV Turk loaned him, he sees the front door open and Karen step out onto the porch. Yeah, that cabin fever is fucking bad.  
  
She’s practically a bundle of nerves when he approaches her, her hands furiously rubbing together and he knows it’s not to keep warm in these dropping, late December temperatures.  
  
“Well?”  
  
He tells her. She remains neutral, there’s no hint of relief or sadness from her and it throws Frank off.  
  
“Okay.”  
  
“He’s gone now, Karen. We can go back tonight if you want.”  
  
Karen nods but her eyes are focused elsewhere. Like they’re focusing on the tree next to the cabin but he knows she’s not.  
  
“Karen?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“You okay?”  
  
“Yeah, it’s just... I can’t...”  
  
“Look Karen, if you’re worried that he’ll get parole or get released for good behavior and come after you... I won’t let that happen.”  
  
“It’s not that Frank...”  
  
“I could take care of him for you.”  
  
Karen finally looks at him, a half smile on her lips. She’s trying to convey that she finds his statement absurd but instead it comes across as contented reassurance. Of course she knows he would and he would do it his way. There’s no doubt in her mind and Frank can see that.  
  
“Not this time Frank.” She says after a long pause.  
  
“He’s a piece of shit, Karen. Hurt a lot of people, hurt you Karen...”  
  
“Frank...”  
  
“You were in a vulnerable place and that asshole took advantage of that...”  
  
“Frank I was nineteen. Todd was there for me. And I wasn’t... right or good or anything worth...”  
  
“Stop, stop, stop...”  
  
“Why Frank? Don’t want to hear how I was a teen drug fiend stuck in the mountains?”  
  
“You know it’s not that, Karen.” Frank says with intense assuredness.  
  
“Then what is it?”  
  
“He threatened Kevin.”  
  
The smile is gone now. He knows he’s crossed the imaginary red tape with her. Stuck an awful moment in her face like she stuck that picture of his family in his face at the hospital. But just like how she was trying to remind him that the truth was worth fighting for, he wants to remind her that she is better than her past.  
  
“Almost killed him too. How can you even begin to...”  
  
“Enough, Frank. He was a part of my life and I will always be connected to him. I won’t be able to shake that. But he’s gone now and I just want to move on. Let’s hope our paths won’t ever cross with him again.”  
  
He closes his mouth. He wonders if this is how Karen feels every time they’re together, like his heart is going to burst from this swirl of feelings. These ingredients of longing and worry and awe that such a person could even be real... he can feel himself spiraling.  
  
“Come on. It’s too cold to stay out here. And I’m sure you want to get out of that suit.”  
  
His hand immediately goes to the knot of the black tie he has on and away from his racing thoughts. Frank actually managed to forget the noose feeling for a minute there. He smooths the tie down even though he knows he doesn’t need to.  
  
“It’s not that bad.” He mutters.  
  
“Yeah, right.” Karen scoffs as she crosses to him. Why she’s out on the porch in that thin, green sweater he can’t even...  
  
“You’ve been waiting to take this damn suit off and never wear it again as much as I’ve been wanting to get out of this godforsaken cabin.”  
  
She’s close now. Cinnamon hangs in the air. He doesn’t remember there being cinnamon in the cabin when they first arrived.  
  
“Can I take this off for you, Frank?”  
  
He swallows the golf ball sized lump in his throat and nods just a little too aggressively. Why does this feel like such a big deal? It’s just a tie and yes, it has been the bane of his existence...  
  
His mind stops running as she lifts his collar up and her fingertips brush he cheeks. Karen never took her time with his tie before. What is she...  
  
She goes to work on untying the knot. She shimmies the knot back and forth and starts pulling from the top of the knot and the fabric makes that sound when it’s pulled through. He usually ignores it but it’s all he can hear. That and their shared breathing.  
  
“There.” Karen says with quiet content.  
  
She holds the undone tie in her palms.  
  
“We should get this inside before it wrinkles...”  
  
“Jesus forget the tie, Karen.”  
  
He reaches for her, gets her head between his hands. The tie is now clenched in her hands.  
  
“You don’t have to hide from me Karen.”  
  
“I’m not hiding.”  
  
“Yes you are. You think I have this... perfect... angel... vision if you in my head. I don’t. I just have you. And it’s all I need. When I came up the steps here just now... it felt like coming home.”  
  
His hands fall to her neck, his fingertip brushing the mole that’s there. Her lips tremble and he can’t help but brush them with his thumb.  
  
“Look... uh, we can talk inside, you said yourself it’s cold...” Frank stammers out.  
  
“I’m not cold.”  
  
She closes the distance between them and it’s that easy. That easy to slant his mouth over hers. To wrap his arms around her, to open his mouth to let her tongue in. He doesn’t remember why he pushed her away before and he doesn’t want to anymore. Not after this.  
  
Even as they try to warm themselves with the little heat that is left inside them it becomes clear that the cold is going to force them inside. They break apart and Karen is flushed red.  
  
“Can we please go in? This fucking suit is really...” Frank admits sheepishly.

“Come on.” Karen replies with a hunger that floors him. She takes him inside by the wrists and he realizes that she is still holding onto that damn tie.  
  
In that moment he realizes it’s in prelude of what’s to come. He follows, in matching hunger.

...  
  
They spend all day New Year’s Eve in bed. That tie is wrapped around one of iron headboard posts and has been long forgotten (for now). It’s definitely not the worst way to ring in the new year and Frank certainly wouldn’t trade it for any of his past ones.  
  
But as the sun sets there’s still a small twinge of guilt because, well, they should really get out and go put on the TV or something. Or at least grab an alcoholic beverage, do a toast at least.  
  
But that would mean letting her go. Putting clothes on. Leaving the warmth of the bed. For a tradition signifying the passing of time. It felt so dumb just even thinking of doing that.  
  
“I can feel your mind running from over here.” She murmurs into his chest.  
  
He tilts his head to look down at her while she readjusts her position so that she is propped on her forearms while her hands stay on her chest.  
  
“Shouldn’t we... uh...”  
  
“You think we shouldn’t count down to midnight naked in bed, do you?”  
  
Frank frowns but nods in response.  
  
“Well fine. If that’s what you want. I have to pee actually.”  
  
She kisses his cheek, gets out of the bed, and heads to the bathroom. Frank knows he’s leering but goddamn, how could he not? Especially when Karen looks like that? Naked!?  
  
She flips on the bathroom light but doesn’t go to close the door. Instead she turns, and stares him down. Any shame Karen had before about any aspect of her life she is definitely not carrying it now.  
  
“Wanna go for round two?” She proposes.  
  
“Well technically it’d be round four...”  
  
“Oh my God Frank just get...”  
  
He’s bounds to her before she can get the rest of her sentence out and grabs her by the waist. He props her on the sink and is about to add a second hickey to her neck when she stops him. He lets out a frustrated grunt but he keeps his distance.  
  
“Happy New Year, Frank.”  
  
“Happy New Year, Karen.”  
  
Even though the new year is still hours away, Frank did not care. They were both here. Alive. And past all the bullshit that was keeping them apart. And Karen can take what is left of him, have all the rest of it. He swears it to her as he kicks the door closed.


End file.
